balmain boy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 9,352
The thing is, we don't really have many second row prospects at the club, it's probably our weakest position depth wise. Yes there's Papa and Bateman as pros.Ref Kitione Kautoga .. yes he has had a few injuries over the last 2 season as a junior, but the Tigers have stuck by him and he appears this season to be pretty much injury free. He says he will stay loyal to the club as we stuck by him when he was injured .. but unfortunately he has realised that there are a few back rowers in front him and some more guys coming through the ranks. Kit is only 20 years young .. so plenty of time to make the top grade .. but he has been offered by another club a chance to play NRL .. (to what i believe he has been brainwashed / lied to by another club .. that he will play in the NRL this season .. as once again there are other players who play in the back row in front of him at this club who have made the offer) But hey if you believe the talk from another club and they offer you a 3 year deal to be basically to be a depth player .. good luck to you man. We have plenty of back rowers coming through: Blore, Bateman, Papali'i, Ofahengaue, Mansfield, Tumeth, Saukuru, Matamua and Fa'atgutu so Kit believes he is behind the pecking order.
There's Blore, with big ?s on his fitness and he may be more of a prop than a wide player.
Tumeth is a small back rower, which stacks the odds against him, but he's a fighter and has potential to be a solid forward but hardly a line breaking back rower. A work horse type.
Joffa is not a second rower and never will be.
Pole would be better as a prop but will be interesting to see how he goes a little wider, his lateral defence needs work.
Saukuru is also a prop, as is Fainu. Two big slow but powerful players.
Webster-Mansfield is a bit of an unknown due to his injuries last year but is a decent back row prospect
Then there's the sg ball brigade in Matamua, Fa'agatu and Lualilii, all of whom are more locks than second rowers. Matamua would be a classic lock while Fa'agatu and Laulilii are more of the Taumololo type running locks.
Galvin is playing halfback at the moment and is a long way off being a second rower to nrl standard,
Talau, who knows if he can transition to the forwards.
Kautoga is easily the best young back rower currently at the club. He's also the only one who you would describe as that dynamic type, breaking the line, ball playing, and putting in passes and kicks at the line etc.
I know Gus has been talking him up for ages but hopefully he waits a few months into the season to see where he stands at the club before making any decisions. He won't start at the Dogs either. they have at least 3-4 senior players ahead of him, probably more.
hopefully benji gets in his ear and can get him to back himself at the Tigers and repay our faith in him